Thin-Section Mechanical Analysis of Indurated Sediments

Present methods of mechanical analysis are confined to rocks that can be separated into their component grains. This restriction is partly removed by a new method in which correction factors are added to data obtained from thin sections. Check analyses on St. Peter sandstone and a glacial sand show that the range of error of the average grain size and other statistical measures is within that permissible in mechanical analysis. Finally, an actual application is made to a pre-Cambrian quartzite in which secondary growth has completely cemented the grains. The necessary mathematical theory to establish the correction factors is given in the Appendix at the end of the paper.